The new Office 2013 products offer a number of new
features and benefits over Office 2010, including direct integration with
SkyDrive, new graphics options, the ability to open and edit PDFs in Word, plus
syncing across several devices. This means you can start working on a document
on your desktop and then continue where you left off on another computer,
laptop, or tablet because Office saves your work in the cloud as you go.

About Software Assurance

If you have received a donation of
Microsoft Office through TechSoup that included Software Assurance (and it's
still current), you can upgrade to the latest version of Office at no
additional cost.

Free Webinar!

Take a tour of the new Office. Check out our free webinar, where Microsoft's
David Alexander gives us a live demo of Office for nonprofits and libraries,
including an overview of what's new.

What's New in Office?

One of the most interesting new
features of Office is its integration with the cloud. Microsoft's Office Web Apps let your staff and volunteers create, edit, and share documents
online. For example, you can add comments to a Word document, and colleagues
can respond to them directly within the document or via email or Skype. Plus:
You can start working on a document on your desktop, then continue right where
you left off on a different computer or tablet.

One addition to Word that you'll
notice right off the bat is its treatment of PDFs. For the first time, you can
open a PDF in Word, and its paragraphs, lists, tables, and other content will
act just like Word content.

Word includes new templates and design
tools, plus it automatically remembers your location in the document as you
work. This means you can close a document and come back to it later, continuing
your work at the same spot, even on a different computer. And Word now includes
the ability to reply to comments within a comment.

The latest version of Excel helps you
explore your organization's data in a more intuitive and visual way. Excel
recommends charts and graphs for you based on the data you’re trying to display,
and it allows you to display selected workbooks collaboratively via Lync. Plus:
Excel learns and recognizes your patterns and auto-completes your remaining
data without macros.

As you build your slideshows,
PowerPoint suggests variations on your color scheme and template as you go and
includes new tools to help develop and align text, graphics, and imagery. This
updated presentation tool also includes an improved Presenter View and a
PowerPoint web app that allows coauthoring of presentations by several people
inside and outside of your organization.

Your OneNote notebooks are now built
to move with you, thanks to the new cloud integration. The notes you take on
your desktop or laptop will be accessible from any other computer as well as
your tablet and smartphone. You can use OneNote Mobile apps on Windows Phone,
iOS, and Android phones. And if you're using a browser, just open the OneNote
Web App.

OneNote now also allows integration of
pictures, video, and Excel spreadsheets into your notes. Plus: include links,
webpages, maps, and sketches into your note taking as well.

Outlook features new and improved ways
to handle your email accounts, coordinate staff and volunteer schedules, manage
your social networks, and keep yourself organized through to-do lists. The new
version of Outlook also includes "Peeks" — which let you grab a quick glance at
your schedule — as well as a calendar sharing function so others can see when
you’re available.

Another neat new addition to Outlook
is the weather bar, which lets you view the forecast right within Outlook,
helping you plan your day and any upcoming travel.

Easily See What You Can Request

To help you manage your Microsoft
software donations, we've created the Microsoft Donation Center. Organizations
can easily track what donations they have received so far, what remains of
their software allotment, when their cycle resets, and the value of their
Microsoft software donations to-date.

Not sure if your organization is
eligible for software donations from Microsoft? Log in to your TechSoup account
and take our Check Eligibility Quiz.

Office Is Optimized for Windows 8

Eligible organizations can also
request donated upgrades of Windows 8 Professional and Windows 8 Enterprise.
With a new mobile-friendly design that features sleek tiles in the place of
conventional icons, Windows 8 is a complete rethinking of the Windows
environment. It keeps some aspects of what we're all used to from Windows 7.
But it drops the "Start" button in favor of a new app-integrated look and
easier syncing with cloud-based services. Learn more about Windows 8.

Hi penwrite, at the moment the Office 2013 products are Windows only. We do have the latest Mac version of Office -- Office for Mac 2011 -- available for donation if you're interested: www.techsoup.org/.../office-for-mac-2011-standard-edition-(includes-software-assurance)--LS-3013--

I liked Windows 8 a lot and so jumped from Office 2007 to 2013. But a someone in front of big bright monitors and with older eyes I'm finding "snow blindness" setting in -- and lots of negative comments about the bare, bright interface (and very limited options to change that) from the months of beta testing. If your eyes are already stressing from your PC work, check the comments online and consider staying with Office 2010. The SkyDrive integration is neat, but it may not be worth it.

Thanks for the feedback, jhbeck23. I wonder if it's the same if users switch away from the tile "skin" on the main desktop and look at the more traditional desktop behind it? I've only watched demos of it so far, but the "behind the skin" options don't seem to be any brighter than Office 2010, which is what I'm currently using.

I'd be interested in hearing more about accessibility features (or drawbacks) of the new Office, so feel free to share any links to resources you've read here in the comments! Thanks either way for your input.

Question- I want to put the new Windows 8 Professional Plus 2013 on two computers here at our office---how many licenses do I need to purchase? What are the differences between the two licenses - MAK & LKM??

Question- I want to put the new Office Professional Plus 2013 on two computers here at our office---how many licenses do I need to purchase? I would need to purchase two (2)Office Pro Plus for two separate computers?? What are the differences between the two licenses - MAK & LKM??

Just a word of warning to those wanting to use the 2013 version - it does not run on Windows XP (only on Win7 & 8)and if you're using Exchange Server 2003, you cannot use Outlook. This was a deal breaker for my foundation. I just ordered several extra licenses for 2010 so I can cover future growth. Be sure you check the system requirements!

Hi rmbring, good questions! The 2013 version of Office is compatible with all versions of Windows 7, but I should note it will not run on any versions of Windows XP or Windows Vista. As far as the webinar goes, we're hoping to have it on the site today or tomorrow, so check back soon!